The Tale of Kali: Wrath of the Warriors
by bronbron
Summary: ok, so it's not exactly like Xena: Warrior Princess, but there is a warrior in it named Kali and she becomes chief of her tribe at the tender young age of 15. She is also a gifted child...but saying anything else will spoil it. just read and enjoy!
1. Prologue

The winter months were always harsh. Minera sighed, hugging her skins closer to keep her body warm and gazed out of the tent that she shared with her husband, Kaylin, chief of the Puma clan. Soon he would be the proud father of a son or daughter, thought Minera as she lovingly caressed her swollen belly. The babe would be born soon, Minera could feel it. This was her first child and sadly she would not live to see her child grow. As the baby had slowly grown inside her, she had had the same recurring nightmare that she dared not tell her husband about for fear of frightening him. She knew that she must face this alone. With a weary sigh, Minera went back to her husband's side and kissed him tenderly on the forehead. "I will always love you, but you must go on without me, my love." and with that she settled down beside him and fell into an uneasy sleep.

She suddenly awoke with a start as sharp stabbing pains came from her abdomen, making her scream out. Kaylin was already at her side and was speaking to her, but she could not hear his words because of the pain. She clutched her belly and gasped, trying to breathe like the midwife had told her to do, find a steady rhythm, but she couldn't. The pain was unbearable.

"Get the midwife!" instructed Kaylin to a young man who had been on watch and had come running when he heard Minera's screams. He nodded and ran as fast as he could to her tent.

The midwife soon came with her bag full of her healing herbs and other remedies that she had made for the sole purpose of using when Minera was having the child. As soon as she saw Minera, her face visibly paled. Something was very wrong here, but the midwife could not quite place what it was. Kaylin tried to yell to the midwife over the screams of his wife, but he could not. He was forced to place one of his large bear-like hands over Minera's mouth, and struggled to keep her still so that the midwife could do her work. Tears streamed from Minera's eyes as she tried to control the shaking of her limbs from the assault of the stabbing pains.

The feeling of dread was quickly replaced by the midwife's training and she knelt down and positioned Minera's legs ready for the birth. She took a cutting of some healing leaves and placed them on top of Minera's swollen belly.

"Kaylin, go behind Minera and prop her into a sitting position so that she can lean back on you," she instructed him. Kaylin did so and pulled Minera close to his chest. "You will be fine, my love." he whispered to her soothingly. But that did not make her any less scared. She let out a quiet whimper and muffled a scream with the back of her hand as the contractions started. "Push Minera, push!" said the midwife.

Minera pushed as hard as she could and by the end of the second hour, she was finally rewarded with the scream of a new born baby. That was when she felt a quick sharp pain in her belly that spread all the way up to her heart. She pursed her lips and kept quiet. In her dream she had slowly and painfully bled from the inside – and now it would happen.

"It's a girl!" announced the midwife happily, making Minera forget about her fate if only for a moment. She handed the baby to Minera and she cradled the baby to her chest. Tears of joy mixed with sadness sprang to her eyes as her child stopped crying and opened up its huge green eyes and looked at her mother for the first and last time. "Hello there, little one," she cooed at the child. She heard Kaylin behind her and squeezed his hand.

"She's beautiful." he breathed. Minera nodded and slumped into Kaylin's chest. The midwife saw this and took the child away from Minera, wrapping the babe in a soft blanket and cradling her in her arms.

"Kaylin, Minera needs rest now to recover her strength." He nodded and left the tent only to be awoken the next day by a scream coming from the tent Minera was in. He pounded his way towards it and ripped away the hanging fur that covered the entrance and saw the midwife lying next to Minera, tears streaming down her face. She looked up at him.

"She won't wake up! She won't wake up, Kaylin!" the midwife wailed. The baby too cried from its crib and mixed with the distressed voice of the midwife. Kaylin went to Minera's side and touched her cheek. She was so cold. No…no…not his wife! How could the gods give him his soul mate and then rip her out from under him! He shook violently.

"There was nothing to be done, Kaylin. She knew she was going to die, Kaylin. There was nothing to be done…" sobbed the midwife. A lump formed in Kaylin's throat and he shook his head. "No, Minera would have told me. She would have told me." he repeated over and over, but the midwife was not convinced. He too soon started to doubt what he said.

"Kaylin," the midwife whispered after a few minutes that seemed like an eternity. He looked up at her with pain, grief and loss all over his face and in his eyes. "Let her go. You need to think about the baby and give her a name."

He looked back at Minera, at her perfect face and her blue lips that had once tasted so sweet. He would miss her so. He stood up and walked over to the crib and took the baby out of her blankets. Kaylin looked at the tiny babe in his arms. "I promise that I will never let anything happen to you, Kali." he whispered.


	2. Chapter 1

Eleven summers had passed since Minera's death and for eleven summers Kaylin had watched Kali grown into a strong girl. As chief of his tribe, Kaylin had many responsibilities, but he always made time for his daughter.

While she had been growing up, Kali had never been interested in playing dolls with the other girls her age and she never wore makeshift dresses. Instead she always watched the older boys play with their wooden swords and watched them fight with each other. Kali would always give the boys her fullest attention when they showed her how to hold the wooden swords and taught her how to fight properly. Kaylin had sometimes seen Kali in action and was very impressed at how fast she was learning. When some of the older boys went out to hunt, Kali would sit and wait for them until they returned and listen to them when they told her of their hunt at night around the campfires.

This never troubled Kaylin, for he could see that Kali wished to be a skilled warrior, and she would make a fine one at that. It was common in the Puma clan for some of the women to become warriors with the men as well as being mothers. So it was no surprise to him when Kali asked him to teach her the ways of the warriors in the Puma clan. Kaylin smiled at her before replying. "Yes, I will teach you. I have seen you playing with the boys and you are a quick learner. One day you might even be better than I!"

Kali had been told by the other boys, who had in turn been told by their fathers, that Kaylin was a fierce warrior indeed. Before she had even been born, another clan had tried to overthrow the Puma clan. The other clan leader was a fool to even challenge the warriors of the Puma clan, for their skill in killing was renowned throughout the land and even to foreigners. Kaylin and his warriors had driven the other clan away and they had never returned to this day.

Kali had often dreamed of one day becoming a great warrior, perhaps the greatest in the clan, and protecting her father and the clan from outsiders. "Thank you father" she said and jumped up and ran into his outstretched arms. "Training will start at dawn, so you had better go to bed and get a good night's sleep!" he slapped her playfully on the rump and she squealed and ran into her makeshift bed. "Good night father." Kali said before drifting off to sleep.

At dawn, Kali woke up before her father. She had had the strangest dream, but thought she would tell her father about it later. She got out of bed and stretched her limbs to wake them up for training. She had been told by the other boys that training with their fathers often wore them out, but for their own good, their fathers had pushed them more often than not.

Kali was ready for anything that her father would give her in her first training lesson. She guessed that they would be going out into the grassy plain a few miles away from the lake near the camp and they would stay there until dusk. That was where the boys told her that they trained. So she filled her pack with some bread, meat and cheese for her and her father. She had just finished packing when her father woke up. "You are very eager, aren't you?" he grinned at her and she grinned back. The way that her eyes shone made him think of Minera.

"Hurry up or we won't have enough time!" she scolded. He laughed to himself. And she has her mother's patience too, he thought. Kaylin rose from his bed, dressed and collected his fighting gear. Hopefully they would only use wooden swords today. Kali already had on her pack and was waiting for her father outside the entrance of the tent. Kaylin finally emerged and they both set off at a steady pace towards the lake.

Kali always liked going near the lake because of the long grasses that surrounded it, offering protection against prying eyes if you wanted to wash and also against some of the cold winds that cut through you to the bone in the winter months. She had bathed with all the other children when she was very little, but then the older women had started to separate the growing girls and boys and they went off to the lake in their own groups. They were never allowed to go together and had set times that they could be at the lake. Kali never understood why, but she knew that soon her body would start changing. The older girls had told her so.

Brushing these thoughts aside, Kali glanced sideways at her father. He was still a young man he had scarcely seen thirty-five summers but his green eyes were old and wise. He had seen many a battle and had the scars to prove it. He had the body of a warrior; tanned, muscular, with a broad chest and big bear-like hands that could easily snap a man's neck. Shoulder length black hair tied back with leather swung from side to side as he walked, and there was a mark in the shape of a claw on his right shoulder – symbol of the Puma clan. Every warrior had one branded on their arm once they became a fully fledged warrior. Kaylin caught her watching him and smiled his most winning smile at her.

He could have taken another wife and had more children, but he had chosen not to. Kaylin was still very faithful to Minera, even if she was no longer by his side. Kali sighed and looked towards the mountains in the far distance from the hill and watched as the sun came up and bathed the sky in pinks and oranges. They were almost there. All they had to do was climb down this hill and then…

"Stop" Kaylin stilled Kali with his arm across her path. He had seen movement around the trees to the right of the hill. He turned to her and signalled for her to go back and keep quiet. She nodded and ran back over the hill, crouching down low and poking her head up every so often to survey the landscape. Kaylin cautiously walked down the hill, his battle sword unsheathed. He walked closer towards the trees, sword in front of him, braced for any onslaught as his warrior senses took control. The trees rustled as he crept closer still, raising his sword higher in front of him. Someone laughed behind the rustling trees and a woman unexpectedly jumped out, still laughing.

"Come on Kaylin!" the woman yelled at him, "show me how good you really are!" she also held a sword in her left hand, and she swung it boldly in front of Kaylin, making him jump back to avoid a deep cut to the chest.

"This is not the time, nor the place Nikita." Kaylin said between clenched teeth. The anger in his voice stilled the woman and she lowered her sword to the ground. Kaylin looked back up the hill to where Kali was and whistled. Her head popped into view and he beckoned her over. She stood up and started to jog down the hill to her father's side.

Kali looked at the mysterious woman as she approached. She was very tall and muscular, with deeply tanned skin and brown waist-length hair tied into a plait down her back. She wore a brown shirt with a leather jacket overtop, leather pants and leather boots. On her back she carried a quiver full of arrows and a bow. Her eyes were a sparkling blue colour and when she smiled at Kali, it reached her eyes too. Kali relaxed and did not feel threatened by this woman. She knew she could trust her. But she had no idea why her father was behaving so strangely.

"What are you doing here?" Kali asked the woman. The woman inclined her head and looked at her sword. Kali looked at it too and saw dried blood covering most of the tip and down one side. Kali nodded at the woman to show her understanding. This woman was hunting alone. Most of the female warriors in the Puma clan often went out hunting alone, to either improve their skills or return with food for their family. The woman then looked at her father and Kali noticed a change in her eyes – like a certain longing. She glanced at her father but he would not meet her gaze, nor would he look at the young woman.

"Come" her father said to her, his voice devoid of any emotion, "it is time to train. We have lost precious time already."

Kaylin turned his back on them and started walking further out into the middle of the open plain, not even bothering to look and see if Kali was following him. Kali looked at the woman and smiled at her. "I will need you soon," she told the woman confidently and hurried to follow her father, leaving the woman gaping after her. When she caught up to him, she knew even before she saw his face that he was in one of his moods. He was always in a mood when something had displeased him, and Kali had learned very young not to do anything to upset him further. She thought about telling him of her dream later, when his mood was better.

Kaylin started her off at a tough pace, pushing her very hard. He offered words of praise when she did something right, but he would criticize her if she did something wrong. She tried hard to do the right thing all the time, but the gruelling pace became too much for her. The heat of the sun burned high above, making her dizzy. Her father lunged at her with his wooden sword, but she swayed dangerously and had no energy to block the blow that knocked her to the ground.

She heard her father yelling at her to get up, but she closed her eyes and shut them tightly to stop the world spinning. Behind her eyelids she saw his face, saw his coal-black eyes penetrating right through to her very soul. His lips curled into a snarl and he leered at her, his eyes full of hate and something else that she could not identify. His head then morphed into that of a wolf and he bared his teeth ferociously. A sharp object cut into the palm of her left hand. She screamed and fell into darkness.


	3. Chapter 2

Sweat formed on Niska's brow and she stood up to let the cool breeze blow through her long auburn hair. It was nearly sundown and her children would be coming home soon. They were told never to go anywhere alone, and Niska's two eldest children always accompanied the four younger ones. She knew that she could rely on her children to keep each other safe if they ever got lost. Thankfully that had not happened yet.

Niska resumed her work and did not stop until the birds chirping in the trees went quiet. Like the calm before a storm. She looked up and an uneasy feeling settled in the pit of her stomach. Her instincts told her to run to the lake. She sprinted as fast as she could and stopped in front of the long grasses, gasping for breath from the sudden exertion. The grasses in front of her moved, but there was no wind to move them. She slowed her breathing down and stood in a defensive position. All the years of hard training as a warrior would serve her well if danger faced her.

Dark silhouettes burst out of the grasses and Niska was outnumbered five to one. However, the silhouettes where not that of fully grown men and she relaxed momentarily. "Mother!" one of them screamed. They were her children! Thank the gods that they were safe! They all ran into her outstretched arms and she hugged them closely. There were only five here. One of them was missing. "Where is Dargan?" she cried. Although she could not see their faces, their silence confirmed her worst fears. "Kaylin!" she screamed, running back towards the camp with her children.

* * *

Kaylin could not get Kali to wake. He tried everything. He yelled at her; he shook her. He even slapped her face, may the gods forgive him. The sun was setting fast and his gut feelings told him that this night would not be safe for anyone to be far from home. Making a quick decision, he hefted her over his shoulder, picked up her pack and started towards home at a quick jog. 

Wailing greeted Kaylin as he entered the camp. He silently cursed himself for not coming home sooner. He walked to his tent and placed Kali on her bed and walked back outside and over to the wailing. He could not conceal the look of surprise on his face when he saw that the wailing woman was Niska, one of the most respected female warriors in the camp. Her eyes were bloodshot and her face was wet from her tears.

"What happened Niska?" he asked as he knelt down in front of her. She looked at him with pained eyes but said nothing, pointing to her eldest son. Kaylin turned to him and could see in the firelight that he had dried blood on his arms and one side of his face. "Tell me what happened." he said to the boy firmly. The boy nodded and turned to walk to a secluded area, so that he and Kaylin could talk in private.

"This I have not yet told mother about, for it will only upset her further," the boy began when they were alone. "A wise decision." Kaylin said. "We were all together in the woods, but we only ventured into the safest parts," he said quickly for Kaylin gave him a stern look. "We all stay together. This we know as a rule mother told us. No one is to go anywhere alone. Unfortunately Dargan did. It was not long before we noticed him gone. We were searching for him for a while before we heard him scream. We all ran in the direction of his scream, but we were too late. The last we saw of Dargan was his body being pulled away into the forest by a large beast."

"Then explain the blood." Kaylin motioned towards the bloody hands of the youth. "I had with me a hunting knife and I tried to free Dargan." he spread his hands, "but the beast was very strong. I'd even say unnaturally strong." Kaylin looked into the youth's eyes and knew that he was telling no lie.

"Do you think that your brother is still alive?" he asked quietly. The boy turned his head towards the east, his eyes shining in the moonlight. He turned back to Kaylin.

"Do not worry, for the boy is still alive." a voice said behind them. They both turned to look at who had intruded on them and Kaylin's blood turned cold. Her eyes were glazed over as if she was in a trance and her skin was sickly pale in the moonlight. It was Kali. Her eyes focused on the youth and she smiled a reassuring smile at him. Kaylin noticed that her left hand had been bandaged.

"Your brother is still alive." she said to the boy.

"How do you know?" he asked her. She looked to the east as the boy had done. Her eyes searched in the shadows until her gaze settled on something only she could see and she smiled. She looked back at the youth and her father, her eyes glazed over again.

"I can feel him." she whispered. She turned her body to face the east and her face contorted in pain. "We must find him quickly or else the evil man will kill him!" she cried before sprinting into the darkness. Kaylin was too slow to stop her. "Come!" he pointed to the youth and they ran back to the camp. Kaylin quickly collected his sword and picked up a burning piece of wood from the campfire. His warriors must have seen the look on his face and went silent.

"The boy, Dargan, has been found alive." he spoke loud enough for all to hear him. Niska had stopped her weeping. "Unfortunately Kali has run off to find him and has put herself in danger. I want every warrior to come with me. We must find them." as he finished a small cheer rose up from the warriors. They had not been on a hunt for a long time and welcomed the opportunity with fists raised. Kaylin led the way, running past the tall grasses near the lake with the torch held high. He had promised not to let anything happen to Kali. And he never broke a promise.

They had been running for almost half the night when one of the warriors found track marks that had been made before nightfall. They were very close. Kaylin could feel it. Their torches had almost burned out and they were thrown into semi-darkness, although the pale moonlight managed to light their way. He walked forward cautiously, sword at the ready. Wind rustled the tree branches all around. The moonlight faded and Kaylin looked up past the trees to see the clouds floating across the path of the moon, pitching them all into darkness.

A soft growl broke the silence and escalated into a fierce growl. A warrior cursed an oath to Kaylin's right as a sickening crunch filled the air, followed by the sound of flesh being ripped from bone. Kaylin ran to him, sword raised. The warrior roared in pain as Kaylin came into view and was still trying to defend himself from the beast. The beast whirled on Kaylin, baring its teeth at him as it crouched low and lunged at him. Kaylin swung his sword, striking the beast's head and was rewarded with a howl as his sword connected with its skull. But the blow did not kill it. Kaylin stood there, dumbstruck. The blow should have killed it. Then he remembered what the youth had said. That it was unnaturally powerful. A single heavy blow would not kill this evil abomination.

"Pierce him in the heart!" Kali yelled as she appeared from the darkness. For a split second, Kaylin turned his head towards his daughter to see if she was unharmed. And in that split second, the beast jumped on his chest, knocking the torch from his hand and pitching them all into total darkness. Kaylin could feel the beast's foul breath oh his face and feel its sharp claws pierce his skin. He still held tightly onto his sword and he swiftly aimed the tip into its chest as he grabbed the beast's jaw tightly and pushed it away from him. He thrust the sword forward as hard as he could into its heart. A faint blue light glowed around the beast as his sword stuck its heart. The glow became brighter and the features of the beast started to change. The paws became human hands and the hind legs lengthened and turned into human legs. The face of the beast was the last to change. The fur receded and the nose shrank back into the head. The blue light gradually faded and Kaylin stared into the face of a man whose ice-blue eyes burned with hatred. The man looked familiar but Kaylin could not place him. He twisted his sword in the man's chest and he screamed in agony and went limp on top of Kaylin.

Kaylin pushed the deceased man off him and lay still in the darkness. He steadied his breathing and finally got to his feet. Kali rushed into him, hugging his waist tightly as he kissed her on the forehead. "Never do that again, little one! I do not want to lose you as well!" he whispered into her hair. She nodded and let out a sob, hugging him tighter. He let her go but grabbed her hand and held it firmly. He gave one long low whistle and was answered by a dozen other low whistles nearby. He could hear the injured warrior's heavy breathing and asked him his name. "Saris." the warrior replied. "Well done, Saris," Kaylin said to him. The rustling of bushes and low whistles alerted him to the arrival of the other warriors. Pale moonlight bathed them again, but the light was not bright enough for them to inspect the body properly. They needed fire.

"Does anyone have a torch still burning?" he asked them. One of the warriors said he had a flint while another still had his burnt-out torch. They both worked vigorously for five minutes before an orange flame glowed brightly from their efforts. One of them handed it to Kaylin and he held it over the figure of the dead man. He was wearing a black robe tied about the waist with a silver chain with a symbol hanging on it. Kaylin crouched down next to the corpse and looked at the symbol. He dropped it and recoiled, as if it suddenly grown hot. "What evil is this?" he hissed.


	4. Chapter 3

Several moments passed in silence as every warrior present looked at the symbol. Some shouted in disgust, while one warrior was bold enough to spit on the corpse and swore an oath. Kali crept towards her father and said shakily, "I can explain this, father." Kaylin looked at her sharply and she flinched from his gaze. He did nothing as Kali proceeded to tell her father about her dream.

"The clan that you banished before I was born, it has been, reborn, so to speak. You managed to kill every living person except one little boy of eleven summers. He escaped, but the memory of his clan's downfall is always in his mind. It is what fuels him, I think." Kali noticed that she now not only had her father's full attention, but the attention of all the other warriors as well. She turned pink but kept talking. It was very important that they know.

"That little boy kept running, day and night, hoping to put the past behind him. He ran for months, only stopping to find food and water, sometimes going the whole night without either. Finally, he came across another clan in the south. They took him in and their clan leader adopted him. As he grew into a young man, he became a great warrior. He had a close circle of friends and they worshipped him. He also had a gift. He learned to use this gift and it grew stronger each day. Unfortunately he looked down upon those who did not possess the gift. To him they are just mere pawns. Over time he became ambitious and wanted power and wealth. His father soon grew worried about his son and that his gift had somehow changed him dramatically and had turned him greedy. So one day he took his son out for a private talk and only the son came back, blood covering his hands. The people were alarmed and very frightened. He named himself new chief of the clan. Anyone who went against him was killed immediately. He discarded the clan's name and gave it a new one, the one that his clan was called the wolf clan. He made every single person in that clan train as a warrior as soon as they had seen eleven summers. He did not want his new clan to be vulnerable. But one clan was not enough for him. Each winter he would take his elite warriors to invade the camps of other clans and told them to convert to the wolf clan. They died if they refused him. He did this for many winters, until he had converted at least six clans. I'm not sure what his intentions are because those thoughts are closed to me. But I know that he remembers you, father," Kali trembled slightly, "and he is coming."

"How could you know this?" he asked but she merely shrugged. It just came to her, from where she did not know. Kaylin held out his hand. "Show me your palm." She held out her trembling left hand. He took it roughly, and started unwrapping the bandage around her hand. The cut in the centre of her palm outlined a wolf's paw. This could not be right, he had destroyed them every single one. Maybe Kali's story was true and that one had survived. But how could she _know_? Surely she did not possess…? He took the burning torch and shoved one of her fingers into the flame. She yelped in surprise, yet the flame did not burn her. A tiny flamed appeared above the tip of her finger, flickering slightly, but did not go out. She watched the flame on her finger in fascination and Kaylin looked at her grimly. So she had the gift then, just like Minera's mother had said she would before she had left this world. A gifted one in a clan was a rare thing, and was kept secret, should another clan want the gifted one for themselves. The man that Kali had seen in her dreams must have the gift too, or else he would not have found her. It was said that the gifted were linked to each other in some way, and that they could communicate with each other by any means. Their powers were said to be limitless, all they had to do was to learn and control it.

Kaylin was amazed that his daughter – his _own_ daughter – possessed something so rare…but right now her gift was not his main concern. The boy, Dargan, was. He took Kali by the shoulders and asked her where he could find him. "Follow me" she said. The warriors with him followed in single file, letting Kaylin carry the torch in front, guided by Kali. They were walking for some time when Kali stopped near some bushes and they heard a faint whimper. "Ssshhh" Kali said soothingly to the boy, "help has arrived. You will see your mother soon." She looked back at her father. Tonight had been a very long night indeed.

It was nearly dawn when they came back to camp. Dargan was being carried by Saris and was sleeping soundly. The bite marks and scratches he had received had been tended to by a healer who had come with them, just in case Dargan was seriously injured or dying. Niska gave a cry of joy when she saw her son. She thanked the gods and took him into her arms and nodded her gratitude to Saris.

Kali had walked beside her father on the journey home. She knew that he was angry with her, and she had put herself in danger, but she had felt the suffering of Dargan and had run off hastily to save him. He had gone through a terrible ordeal, and it comforted her to know that he would never again suffer such pain like he had suffered last night.

She glanced at Kaylin. His mouth was set in a grim line and his eyes were distant. Something troubled him greatly, yet when she asked what it was, he would not answer her. Many things had been revealed last night that had set the wheels in motion; it was now only a matter of time. How long would they wait? She thought and shivered even though it was not cold. Kaylin sensed her discomfort and looked sideways at her. He could not bring himself to give her any comfort, or tell her how brave he thought she was for finding the courage to go off alone to find the boy. She was growing up much faster than he wanted her to, but he had always known that this day would come when he would have to tell her things she might not want to hear. He did not want to do this to her, but he had no choice. With a heavy sigh he walked back to his tent.

* * *

The water was inky black, reflecting the night sky. No moon shone tonight, however an orb of light circled around his form to light his way to the pool. He crouched down near the edge and dipped a finger into the ice-cold water. The temperature of the water did not faze him, for his mind was focused on his task. He stirred his finger in a circular motion and pulled back his finger as the water continued to swirl and grew larger until half the surface rippled with swirls. _Show me the girl_. A faint green glow welled up from the icy depths of the water as an image rippled on the surface and became clear. The child slept soundly, her chest rising and falling with every breath, the steady rhythm of it hypnotising him. Her eyelids fluttered momentarily and she turned her head to the side away from his gaze. _She knows._ His lip curled into a sneer, closely resembling a wolf baring its teeth. He was impressed that one so young knew that she had a gift. But she did not know how to harness her gift properly, as he had done. _In time, she will learn._ She would make the same mistakes he had done, call her gift a curse, but always try again to get it right until she perfected it. That was what he had done. And when she was ready he would find her and test her against his own.

* * *

Kali was angry and frustrated with herself. Her father no longer took her out to train and would not tell her why. Was it because she had fainted? She would not let it happen again she had told him. Her words fell on deaf ears. It had been a week since the boy had been found and her father was avoiding her. He had also been on long travels away from the camp too. He would leave early in the morning and return late in the night. She stayed in Nikita's tent but she slept little. Her appetite was no better. Nikita felt sorry for her and knew that Kaylin had no idea what this was doing to his daughter. She could not sit back and watch. She would confront Kaylin. Nikita slept in her gear that night and kept her sword close by her side. 

The next morning she woke up before dawn and hurried to the stables to saddle up her horse. She planned to follow Kaylin wherever he went. Stealth was one of her greatest strengths and most of the men were jealous because of it. She did not mind the attention others showed her for her skill, but she had also hoped to gain the attention of Kaylin. It had been quite a challenge to get him to notice her. And when he had she had felt very much alive. Always in the back her of mind she thought of Minera when she looked at him. Nikita had known his wife as a child and as she grew older her feelings for him increased but she had never told Minera because she felt guilty and ashamed. She knew that she would never be able to replace Minera, but she hoped that she could make him see that she cared for him. After the tragic death of Minera, they had both been affected the most the day she died. For weeks after Minera's death she would ride to her secret spot in the woods, beyond the big oak tree. One day she went there to weep because she missed Minera so much, only to stumble into Kaylin in her secret place. They had remained close ever since. However these days Kaylin avoided her as much as he avoided Kali. It pained her and she wondered what Minera would have thought if she were alive. "I will not let you or Kali down" Nikita whispered fiercely.

Nikita had been following Kaylin for almost half the day and had no idea where he was going to. He rode hard down an ancient path and there were many twists and turns. She kept a good distance away from him, but he knew that she was following him. She knew this too. Kaylin had been around longer than she had and was much more experienced than her. It puzzled her as to why he was playing along and did nothing to stop her from following him. Maybe he still trusted her after all. Even if he did and wanted her to rode up along-side him, she kept her distance. One thing she had learned the hard way was never to jump into anything, no matter how safe it looked. They rode for another ten minutes before Kaylin stopped in front the mouth of a very large cave. He turned in his saddle and motioned for Nikita to come forward. When she made no move towards him he let out an exasperated sigh. "I won't hurt you Nikita." He called. She snorted. "What makes you think you'll hurt me?" The sarcasm in her voice brought a small smile to his lips. His friend had been silence for the past few days and to hear another's voice was most welcome. He dismounted his horse as she rode up beside him. He waited for her to dismount and looked into her face. She was attractive enough, but the thought of Minera never left his mind. Minera was his one and only soul mate and he had sworn never to give his heart to another.

Nikita gave Kaylin a cold look and slapped him hard in the face. He rubbed his cheek. "I guess I know what that's for" he said. "Do you even _know _how this is affecting Kali? She won't sleep, she hardly eats anything and she thinks she's done something _wrong_. It's time you told her what you're doing." she spat. Kaylin flinched again at the truth in her words. How could he neglect Kali? He had been so selfish and had only been thinking of himself for the last few days. "You're the only family she had left," Nikita whispered softly, "she cares about you, Kaylin. And so do I." She looked up into his face and gave him a small smile. He took her shoulders and pressed his mouth onto hers. He pulled back and she gave a soft sigh.

"As always, you are right. I should never have been so selfish. I am truly sorry to both you and Kali." his voice was full of remorse. He kissed her again on the mouth. "Thank you for looking after her for me." he whispered in her ear. She smiled and looked over his shoulder at the mouth of the cave. An old man resting on a walking cane stood in the shadows of the cave mouth looking at them. She quickly let go of Kaylin. "Who is that?" she asked. Kaylin looked at the man and waved a greeting. The man returned it with a nod and shuffled back inside. "He is the reason why I come here." Kaylin told her. Nikita walked by his side as they slowly made their way to the cave. "He is Fenas, a gifted one who was cast out of his own clan because they feared him. He has been in this cave his whole life. He is very old and very wise. By chance my grandfather came across it when he was young, and they remained friends ever since. My grandfather would come to Fenas for advice and in return he sent rations of food and clothing. His advice to my grandfather varied, but most notably was the advice he gave on the training of our warriors. The secrets of our training have been passed down from warrior to warrior ever since, which you and I are familiar with. Both my father and I have been personally trained by him and for that I am grateful. And now it is time for Kali to come here and train with him. But because of her gift, she will have to stay here for some time. She will not be able to return to the clan until he thinks that she is ready." Nikita was surprised by this and could not conceal it from him. "In other words, you will banish her here?" she asked in disbelief. Kaylin frowned. "You misunderstand me. Fenas will better explain it for you."

The walked on in silence. The cave was very dark and they had to wait until their eyes adjusted to the darkness. A figure moved ahead of them and candlelight greeted them. Fenas turned to them and smiled. Nikita smiled back and took an instant liking to him. His hair was snow white and came down to his waist and his skin was pallid in the light. He had pale blue eyes that shone with amusement as he watched Nikita as she took in her surrounding. His furnishings were modest: furs laid out in one corner suggested a makeshift bed; a table with a single chair sat in the middle of the cave and on the walls wooden cupboards hung. "It seems I have an unexpected visitor" his voice was soft and delicate, but his tone spoke of wisdom and great experience. "One that I already knew was coming." She blushed and his soft laughter filled the cave. "It is a pleasure to meet you, my dear. Kaylin has told me that you are an excellent warrior." She blushed harder, but this time he merely smiled at her. "Let us go outside o discuss matters, for I have been meditating since I last saw you Kaylin, and to see the sun would refresh me greatly." They all walked outside and Fenas took a deep breath once they emerged from the cave.

"Now," Fenas began as he turned to Nikita and pointed his cane at her, "what do you wish to know, my dear?" She was taken aback. Kaylin had come here to see him, not her. "Kaylin doesn't mind. Besides, my dear, you are my guest and guests should be tended to before others." She blushed. She had momentarily forgotten that he had a gift and could read her thoughts. Fear quickly seized her as she thought of her most secret thoughts, ones she shared with no one. He chuckled and patted her arm reassuringly. "I don't tamper with minds, my dear. Thoughts that you wish me to see are open to me, but the mind is a wonderful and complicated maze. Anything personal you don't wish to share has already been locked behind closed doors in your mind. That is part of your training, is it not?" She nodded. She had always wondered why they even bothered with 'mind training'. "Now you know." Fenas said with a twinkle in his eye.

"Tell her what you told me, old friend." Kaylin voiced. "Right," Fenas said with a nod. He motioned for Nikita to sit down on a mossy stone. "This may take some time to tell, so I will only tell you the main points, my dear." He settled himself opposite her and leaned on his cane. "Kali is a danger to the clan and she is safer here with me." He held up his hand when Nikita opened her mouth to protest. "My dear, I know you are strongly against her coming here, but please, let me finish before you question me." He took a deep breath and continued, "I will teach her everything I know, passing all of my wisdom and learning down to her. She need only stay with me until I think it is safe for her to return. From what Kaylin has told me, she may not need to stay longer than six or seven summers. She is already conscious of her gift and she is using it already. It never troubled me when she used it in small doses, except that recently, to find that lost boy, she used a very significant amount of her gift to find him. This troubled me deeply because whenever she does use her gift, I can feel the energy that she releases. And so can all the other gifted people, no matter how near or how far they are away from her. She must learn to control this release of energy so that she does not attract too much attention. She is more gifted than she knows and she will always be in danger until she learns to harness her gift properly. If this does not happen soon, she could be captured by other gifted ones and they could use her for their own purposes. Or she could be trained to follow the dark path. Many gifted ones have walked down this path, and have paid the ultimate price for the misuse of their gift." Fenas looked towards the sun when he was finished.

"Goodness! Is it dusk already?" he said as the last rays of the sun disappeared below the horizon. Nikita stomach grumbled loudly. She had not eaten all day and had forgotten to pack food. She thanked Kaylin as he offered her some bread, meat and cheese from his pack. "We must leave now." Kaylin said to Fenas as he rose from the stone he had been sitting on. "No," Fenas said, "You must leave. Nikita will stay here with me tonight. Tomorrow you will bring Kali to me." Kaylin gave him a puzzled look. "What is it that you know old man?" he whispered. Fenas pointed to Nikita. "She is the reason why I want Kali brought to me quickly." Nikita looked bemused. "Why me?" she asked. Fenas turned to face her. "Because, my dear, you are a link to the man who wants Kali." he said calmly.


	5. Chapter 4

Nikita blanched and looked at Kaylin. "What? No, that can't be true…" she stammered. Deep inside her, she knew the old man had spoken the truth. And it frightened her.

"All will be explained later, my dear." he took her hand in his and squeezed it lightly. Kaylin walked over to her and helped her up. She was shaking. "I trust Fenas with my life. You will be safe with him." he kissed her on the forehead. His touch gave her strength and she stood up a little straighter. She hugged him goodbye and watched him disappear from view as he rode back towards camp. "Let's get back inside; it's getting chilly out here." Fenas took her gently by the elbow and they walked into the cave together. Nikita could smell the rain and was thankful they returned when they did because the rain poured down heavily outside. She helped Fenas start a small cooking fire and sat on his fur bed while he stoked the fire and cooked their dinner. The smell of cooking fish wafted in her direction and she breathed in the aroma and closed her eyes. She remembered watching her father cook fish. He cooked delicious fish. But her father never caught the fish these days, no, that fell to her older brother…Her eyes snapped opened and her heart hammered in her chest. Brother? She had no brother, she was an only child. And her father never caught fish; he would hunt deer and boars in the woods. What was happening? These were not her memories.

"They are your childhood memories, my dear." a quiet voice said soothingly beside her. It was Fenas. She turned her head to him and tears streamed down her cheeks. "What's happening? Why haven't I had these memories before?" she sobbed. Fenas cradled her head until her sobbing died down. "I opened them," he told her, "because they have been locked away deep inside your mind for a very long time. You are not, and have never been, a true member of the Puma clan." Nikita shook her head vigorously. "You are wrong," she said fiercely, "I have the mark of the Puma clan." she showed him her shoulder. Fenas sadly shook his head. "You have had another mark far longer than you have had that one. I think you know the one I am talking about." Instinctively she touched the strip of leather that covered her right wrist. "It is nothing more than a slave-brand. My father told me so." she said half-heartedly. "Your adoptive father." he corrected. "Ok then," she challenged, standing up to face him, hands on her hips, "tell me who I am then. Tell me what my memories mean." Fenas sighed and rubbed his eyes wearily. "I can only tell you if you are ready and willing to accept the truth." Nikita's hands dropped to her sides and her lower lip trembled. She sucked in a shaky breath, squeezed her eyes tightly shut, and nodded. "I am ready." came the calm reply. She continued to stand in front of Fenas, hands by her sides.

"We will piece this together like a puzzle. You will know the most because these are your memories, not mine. But I will fill in the gaps for you should that particular memory be lost to you. What do you remember about your childhood?" he asked her. Nikita's brows knotted together in concentration and she bit her lip. "Our clan lived near a river. I was about seven or eight summers old when one day, father came and told the family that we were leaving. My brother and I didn't want to go; I wanted to stay near the river with all the animals. But my father wouldn't hear of it. He said…something about fighting…and another clan. We started packing up straight away, and by nightfall the whole clan was ready to move out. We travelled for weeks. Where we were headed for, we didn't know. But we were scared. Both of us were. I was leaving my animal friends behind and we would never see them again. It wasn't right…it just wasn't right and we both knew it," she swayed slightly as all the memories came flooding back, and sat back down next to Fenas. "By day we were so sick of walking and not knowing where we were going – so we decided to run away together," she chuckled at the memory, and then became serious again, "but just as we were planning it, we were told that our journey had finally come to an end. That night we had set up camp. That was when the fighting started. I can't recall how or when it happened, but when it did it happened fast and unexpectedly. My father had run off to join in the melee and never returned. Our mother tried to protect us, but the attackers wanted no survivors. My mother was killed from behind in our tent, and my brother and I pretended to be dead under her corpse." her voice had now dropped to a whisper as those horrific memories surfaced in her mind's eye. "We waited forever it seemed, just hiding. We didn't dare do anything until there was no more sound of fighting, of crying and screaming and…dying. It was nearly dawn when silence came. We were both badly shaken; my brother almost went livid at the sight outside our tent. Dead corpses littered our little camp. They were everywhere; men, women and children. The smell was so bad I had to gag. My brother told me to shut my eyes and he led me away from the carnage. Then we just ran; as hard and as fast as we could – day and night – never stopping. One day, I just couldn't take it anymore. I didn't want to keep running away from the ugly memories and nightmares that would haunt me for the rest of my life. But my brother said that they would pay…the clan that killed ours would pay. I started to cry and I couldn't stop. I was hungry, I needed rest – but he pushed me, he just kept pushing me. Then I became delirious and ran away from him. He tried to find me – but I didn't want him to. And that's all I remember." tears streamed down her cheeks as she finished her story. Fenas laid a hand on her shoulder. "I can finish off the rest for you," she nodded and listened to him intently. "You ran for some time, it seemed. Then you just happen to stumble across the edges of a camp and a young man spotted you first. You were rambling incoherently and he tried to calm you down. He took you in and covered up the mark on your wrist and claimed you as his own. In time you recovered well and everyone began to accept you as part of the Puma clan. Some had their suspicions, but they were soon quashed because you were such a wonderful child and managed to win the heart of everyone in the clan." he finished with a smile. She frowned slightly as unanswered questions tugged at her. The answers were in her mind somewhere, but she couldn't find them.

"I still can't remember some things thought. I know I _know_ them – but I just can't seem to remember them." She puzzled for a few more minutes before Fenas lightly touched her arm. "Some things are better left alone. You will never find out the name you were given as a child and I do not want you to find out the name of your brother either." Nikita looked at Fenas in amazement and was at a loss for words. "Why…why not?" she whispered. Fenas chose his words carefully before replying. "Because, if ever you were to hear his name again, it would open up a memory so powerful that he would feel it – and know that you are still alive. This link between you and your brother would be opened up again, and everything that you know, he would also have access to." Nikita thought about what he had just said. "You say link as if we are both joined together – that we are one and the same!" She looked into his face and knew that he was being serious. "You are one and the same, Nikita. He is your twin." Her mind reeled at this revelation and the pieces of the puzzle began to take shape inside her mind. "Then I am just as much of a danger to Kali as she is to the clan." Fenas nodded sadly and patted her on the arm. "That is why she will be safer here with me. She will be away from you and you from her. If she were to tell you the name of your brother…" Fenas let his words trail off. She knew just what would happen. The link would be opened and her brother would move heaven and earth to find her and the child. "We are both gifted then, aren't we?" she said, more to herself than to Fenas. She knew that her power was not as strong as her brothers, but hers was a different kind. No wonder she didn't want to leave the animals at the river – she could talk to them! The other children in the clan had dubbed her 'the horse whisperer' when they had first learned to ride horses. She had always brushed aside the thought of having some unexplained power drawing the animals to her.

Lost in her own thoughts, she did notice when Fenas walked out to the mouth of the cave, nor hear him greet Kaylin and Kali as the first light of day touched the sky. Exhausted by the whole ordeal of her long-lost memories surfacing, she laid herself down on the soft furs and closed her heavy eyelids and fell into a dreamless sleep.

* * *

Fenas came down to greet Kaylin and Kali cheerfully. "Nikita is inside sleeping. We have been up talking about her past for most of the night. Many revelations were made, and she must have some time alone to think them through properly. But," he said, now looking at Kali, "who do we have here? Ah, it is the young one herself! I have wanted to meet you since you were born, child." Like Nikita, Kali took an instant liking to the old man. His sparkling blue eyes rested on hers, and she felt power radiating from his very soul. She walked up to him and grabbed his hand. "You will protect me." she whispered to him confidently. "Indeed I will, child." he replied, blue eyes twinkling. He looked at Kaylin. "You may go and fetch Nikita now. She will not wake for the rest of the trip home, so exhausted is she." Kaylin nodded to him and walked into the cave and came out a few minutes later, Nikita in his arms. Her head rested on his massive shoulder. He laid her on the ground and walked over to Kali's horse and removed her pack for her. Looking at her, Kaylin felt a sudden pain in his heart. He regretted now that he had not told her what his intentions were. She would not be away for long only for six or seven summers, Fenas has said. To him, it sounded like a lifetime. He held out his arms to her and she rushed into them, hugging him tightly. "I will be safe, father. Fenas will not let anything happen to me. I trust him with my life." she said. Her words touched him deeply and he smiled a sad smile. "There will not be a day that goes by that I won't be thinking about you, Kali." he said thickly, the emotion in his voice almost too much for Kali to bear. She pushed him towards Nikita. "Go! She needs you now more than I do." he walked away slowly, each stride taking so much effort. He lifted Nikita up, placed her in the saddle and jumped up behind her, letting her head loll back onto his chest. Fenas took the reins of the other horse and gave them to Kaylin. "May the gods be with you both, for the first few months will be the hardest. Just remember this: miracles do happen." he smiled goodbye to Kaylin. Kaylin spurred his horse onwards and glanced back at Kali for what was to be the last time for many years. He did not see the single tear that rolled down her cheek and fall to the ground where a red rose sprouted from the earth.

* * *

Three summers had already past and Kali was blooming into a very skilled and very beautiful young woman. Fenas had been teaching her both fighting skills and how to control her gift. He was very impressed at how quickly she learned all that he taught her. She might just be able to go home early, he thought. Today he was teaching her how to block her mind so that others could not see what she was thinking. Although she was a fast learner, this one task was causing her some difficulty. She failed to master it for the thousandth time and inwardly chastised herself for her failings. "Be gentle with yourself" Fenas called to her as blue sparks crackled around her head – a definite sign of her anger and frustration. She walked to his side and sat down. "Be patient," he said, laying a hand on her head, "Nothing will ever come to you if your thoughts are clouded with anger and frustration. You must first learn to master the clearing of your thoughts, and then you will be successful in blocking your thoughts to an opponent."

Kali breathed in and out, counted to ten and got up to try again. She half-closed her eyes to clear her mind. Still breathing in and out, she raised her arms above her head, her lips moving silently, weaving the incantation that would block her thoughts. When the incantation was complete, her eyes snapped open, the black pupils obscured by a faint misty swirl in the centre of them. "Ha! You have done it!" Fenas laughed and clapped his hands. Kali turned to him and smiled, her pupils returning to normal. "Now we know why we must be patient, don't we" he said, shaking a finger at her. She blushed and nodded in agreement. Since her father and Nikita had left three summers ago, Kali had become reserved and hardly spoke a word. She only spoke up when she had something to say, or else she would loose herself in her own thoughts. Fenas didn't mind – he thoroughly enjoyed the young woman's companionship, even if it meant they never talked much. He had been alone for so long he forgot what it felt like to have a friend.

Lost in his own thoughts, Fenas did not notice Kali continue to strengthen her other skills that he had taught her over the past three summers. Her first lesson had been on the mother earth and that nature had its own source of power, deep within the earth. The lessons after that had been on the four elements – earth, fire, wind and water. Once she had become use to the elements, Fenas let her move on to the tougher ways to control these elements. She had been taught how to levitate light and heavy solid objects – even water, which was the hardest element to manipulate. Her breath controlled the wind; she created fire from her fingertips; made small mounds of dirt rise up from the earth to become small hills and even made the water dance in midair at her command.

Fenas shook his head to clear his thoughts and watched Kali practice. Even he had to admit that when she used her gift with the elements, it was hard not to be hypnotised by the rhythmic movements of her and the elements she controlled. Heaven help her enemies, he thought. They would not know what hit them! He chuckled to himself at this thought. Soon, he thought, soon she would be ready to go home.


End file.
